Tom Warren is a senior editor and author of Notepad, who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years.
Microsoft is confirming today that it’s working on a next-gen Xbox console in partnership with AMD. Xbox president Sarah Bond made the announcement in a minute-long video posted to YouTube, promising to deliver “an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device.”
Bond says Microsoft is partnering with AMD for a “strategic multi-year partnership” that will include the pair co-engineering silicon “across a portfolio of devices — including our next-generation Xbox consoles in your living room and in your hands.” The pair will also work together to build the next generation of Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Microsoft is making it clearer than ever that its next-gen Xbox platform will be focused on multiple devices and not locked to its own store for games. “This is all about building a gaming platform that’s always with you, so you can play the games you want across devices anywhere you want — delivering you an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device,” says Bond. “That’s why we’re working closely with the Windows team to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming.”
The confirmation comes just days after Microsoft announced a partnership with Asus to launch two Xbox Ally handheld devices later this year — complete with a new full-screen Xbox experience on Windows. This new Xbox experience runs on top of Windows, and means that the Xbox Ally devices can access other stores like Steam, and it appears that Microsoft is signaling the same for its next-gen Xbox console.
I wrote last week in my Notepad newsletter that I’m more convinced than ever that Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console will be powered by Windows and be part of a number of devices from third parties that Microsoft also considers Xbox consoles. Bond’s comments appear to suggest Windows is key to Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console plans, but one missing piece of the puzzle was backward compatibility for Xbox console games.
Bond says this next generation of Xbox includes “maintaining compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games.” So while the Xbox Ally devices won’t run Xbox console games that don’t have a PC counterpart later this year, next-gen Xbox consoles will.
Here’s Bond’s full statement on Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console plans:
At Xbox our vision is for you to play the games you want with the people you want, anywhere you want. That’s why we’re investing in our next-generation hardware lineup — across console, handheld, PC, cloud, and accessories. I’m thrilled to share we’ve established a strategic multi-year partnership with AMD to co-engineer silicon across a portfolio of devices — including our next-generation Xbox consoles in your living room and in your hands. Together with AMD we’re advancing the state of art in gaming silicon to deliver the next generation of graphics innovation, to unlock a deeper level of visual quality and immersive gameplay and player experiences enhanced with the power of AI. All while maintaining compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games. This is all about building you a gaming platform that’s always with you, so you can play the games you want across devices anywhere you want — delivering you an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device. That’s why we’re working closely with the Windows team to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming. The next-generation of Xbox is coming to life and this is just the beginning, we can’t wait to show you what’s next.
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